Holistic Discipleship Video

It’s that time again—time to start planning for the new year. The new year in WMU, that is.

When you think about planning for WMU, the WMU Year Book most likely springs to mind. For years, it has been the annual planning resource for church WMU leaders. It outlines the WMU emphasis, provides monthly plans for each WMU age-level organization, and highlights ways to be involved in WMU ministries. Still, you may have found it, well, incomplete.

In order to do more detailed planning each quarter, you have needed a subscription to Missions Leader. The quarterly kit provides implementation ideas for the emphases on the Southern Baptist Convention’s calendar, along with leadership tools and color posters.

Complicated, isn’t it?

Not anymore. WMU has put everything you need to plan for a successful year of missions education and involvement in one resource. And all those other helpful things like posters? Throughout the year, supplemental materials will be posted as exclusive digital content on wmu.com.

Do you ever wonder if Christmas in August matters to missionaries and church planters? Just ask David and Kathy Parsons who serve as missionaries through the North American Mission Board in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. They were recipients of Christmas in August gifts in 2016.

“The Christmas in August items sent to us expanded our vision and gave us resources we did not have,” David shared. “This program caused us to humbly stop and see how God works and that He has used others across America to provide for our needs.”

For 90 years, members of WMU missions organizations such as GA, RA, and Acteens have purchased and sent items to NAMB missionaries to help advance their outreach efforts.

David and Kathy provided WMU with a list of items they needed and soon received 20 to 30 boxes a day, with around 500 boxes received in total.

“We received the boxes on our front porch and I would bring them into the living room to stage for delivery,” he reflected.

Through Christmas in August you can directly help a North American missionary with items needed for ministry and outreach.

Christmas in August is a program sponsored by WMU and the North American Mission Board. It allows members of WMU organizations to participate in the work of North American missionaries by supplying them with items needed in large quantities in their ministries.

In some parts of the country we are finally beginning to see the first light of spring. Winter hasn’t been easy for many folks as record-breaking snow falls have blanketed the country. In the last few days I’ve had friends posting pictures on Facebook of their bare feet walking in the sand and of daffodils that have finally popped up above the ground. It’s nice to know warmer days are on their way.

With the coming of warmer days spring break is already on the minds of many—teachers and students alike. It’s the first real break since Christmas. And sometimes by the time it arrives we are limping along in desperate need of some down time.

For some folks, spring break is a time for family vacations to tropical places or maybe the last effort to enjoy the winter weather by going snow skiing. However, for most, it’s a few days to sleep late, read a book, hang out with friends, etc.

As leaders in student ministry and missions, how can you help your students make the most of the time they have on spring break?

There are certainly typical Thanksgiving week activities—traveling to visit family members, making pies ahead of time and putting them in the freezer, cleaning the house in preparation for company, and making gratitude trees, jars, leaves, banners, and so on—as a way to visibly express our thankfulness. And then there are the not-so-typical Thanksgiving-week activities. Like the ukulele concert I attended last night, for instance.

A friend of mine plays the ukulele and has taken group lessons the past couple of years. Each November the group has offered a concert. Several of us have gone to support our ukulele-playing friend, and to enjoy the concert of a group of 10–12 ukulele players. Not only do they play in concert, but they play fun, popular songs, including some oldies. Audience members are given lyrics sheets and invited to sing along. And to my surprise, the audience has enthusiastically participated in these concert experiences.

The month of May usually finds students across the country with only one thing on their mind: Summer vacation! But for many, this yearly pause comes with an added weight of expectation.

Graduation. The end game of the elementary, the medal of honor for the middle schooler, and the holy grail of the high school senior. For many, this long awaited day is fast approaching. But before these happy few take off for parts unknown, make sure they take a little time-honored wisdom with them as they go.

Change Is Coming

Truly, graduation marks the end of one journey and the beginning of another. Peeking out from underneath the shelter of family and the security of childhood can be a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be scary. Dive in to the “new.” Don’t be afraid to live into this time of transformation!

Rise to the Challenge

You got this! Yes, “adulting” is hard. Yes, you will make mistakes. Yes, you will find that the world is a lot more complicated than you thought. But you can make it! When you fall, get back up again.

Have you ever heard of the Friend Zone? It’s that awkward period of time in a hopeful relationship where you know someone better than an acquaintance, but you just haven’t made the jump to saying “I like, like you,” yet. If you’re like me, you’re all too familiar with this in-between stage of a relationship.

The truth is, life is full of these types of circumstances. Middle school students probably know this best. They aren’t kids anymore, but they’re still in the early stages of those crazy teenage years. High school seniors also know what this is like: Many have been accepted by the college of their dreams, but graduation is still so far away!

We are all used to living in this liminal space. Like standing in a doorway before entering a room. Not coming in, not going out. I’ve heard it said that Christ has begun a new work in the world but we have yet to see that work accomplished. We live in the “already but not yet.”

A lot of people really look forward to summer. Who doesn’t love long, lazy days or hanging out by the pool without a care in the world? That probably isn’t the reality for most people every day, but it’s fun to take advantage of slow, carefree moments when we have them.

Unfortunately, though, some people dread summer. Summer is a time of unveiling and shedding layers. For those of us who prefer to be covered up, out of sight, unnoticed, this shift can be a difficult one.

Summer is a time when everything is on display. It’s too hot to hide underneath bulky coats or long pants. For some people, this is easy. They are comfortable in their own skin, happy to shed the weight of those layers and get some much needed Vitamin D. But for others, this is hard. Summertime brings out the biggest thief of all: Comparison.